A/N: So here's another chapter for you. Only the first part has been beta'd... I don't anything!! Review please, I love reviews!!!!! Caro
4
Time was going by too fast. At least in Rory's and Lorelai's opinion it was. They had only five minutes left until they really had to get going. Every time one of them said they had to leave there was something else they absolutely had to do before that.
"Sweetie, we really have to go now or otherwise my mother will lecture us all night for being late to your own birthday party..." Lorelai said to her daughter. Rory had been in her own little world all day and it made Lorelai worry a little, she never was this quiet.
Rory just gave her mother a small nod, took her things and headed out to their car. Hopefully her classmates would all stay at home. They did not like her and she did not really like them either so why should they bother? What she was really worried about was if they would come. With the other students she had no problem, she could probably ignore them the whole night. But them. They would not give up so easily. It was as if they lived to tease her but the worst thing was that she somehow was jealous of them. They were so easy going and seemed to not have a care in the world and yet they were doing well in school.
Although she would never admit out loud to her mother or any other person for that matter she wanted that as well, that carefree attitude. When she had been accepted at Chilton she had thought that feeling would diminish, that the kids there were as focused on school as she was but that had definitely not been the case. The want, the longing, the desire to be at least a little like the other kids she had already felt at Star's Hollow High was back again. She was happy with who she was but she also felt like an outsider because she was not going out on weekends and reading all the time.
Suddenly she was jerked out of her reverie by her mother driving onto the elder Gilmore's driveway and turning off the engine. They had arrived at the mansion her grandparents called home. She could never understand how they were able to find their way in that house. She was lost every time she was not in the living or the dining room.
"Come on, we need to get inside before she comes out and finds us here!" Lorelai said and opened her door. "Yeah, let's go!" was Rory's only response and they walked to the front door which was yanked open by none other than Emily Gilmore. "Finally, there you are! Not even today you two can be punctual have I taught you nothing?" She asked without really wanting to hear an answer but Lorelai could not help it, "But mom, you have taught us something, a lot of things actually. Like how to scare a servant half to death or to never…sorry," Lorelai ducked her head after receiving a death glare from her mother.
The younger woman and the girl entered the mansion with their heads bowed slightly. Yes, they were a little afraid but they would never say that aloud.
All the furniture had been moved, so that a large party could be accommodated with only a few couches left so that the guests could rest their feet. Rory wondered how many people had actually been invited to make her grandmother feel the need to have that much free space.
"Now, you two go on upstairs and get ready the guest will arrive in an hour." Emily said in that bossy tone that made Rory feel as if she was one of the many maids who did not live up to Emily Gilmore's standards.
Up in her room Rory felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest. How was she supposed to survive this night when her grandmother was already in a bad mood? And then the other students... Just then another thought crossed her mind 'What if I have to say something in front of everyone? I mean,this is Emily Gilmore we're talking about. She always expects something like that!' she drew in a shaky breath and sat down on the bed. She really did not know how to handle this night maybe she could escape through the window? No her grandmother would most likely see her climbing down and chase her all the way through the driveway. With a sigh she started getting ready.
After a while a knock startled her out of her frightening thoughts and her mother was poking her head through the crack to look at her daughter who was now sixteen years old she just could not get over the fact that time was flying by so fast. "Are you ready, honey? If you don't come down soon, I'll strangle my mother. That's a promise!" she said with a smile.
But Rory did not react to her mother's joke. She just did not feel like laughing right now.
"I'll be right there, just needed to catch my breath, this week has been so hectic..." Lorelai gazed at her daughter wondering what had changed then nodded in understanding and softly closed the door.
When Rory opened the door and heard the first guests who had arrived a little early and were now engaged in a friendly chatter with her grandparents she flinched slightly. On the inside she was screaming 'I don't want this!' but no one heard her. As she slowly moved down the stairs all eyes were on her and she felt vulnerable. Did they not know that it was impolite to stare? And then she saw them standing huddled up in a corner not really fitting into the crowd of business partners and DAR women and at the same time perfectly blending in.
The guys were smirking at her and the girls were sending death glares her way. Of course, she knew why they were looking like that. She had heard Louise and Madeline in school whispering in the restroom about how Logan had not made out with the blonde in such a long time. Since Rory had arrived at Chilton and had Finn's and the rest of the guy's attention to be exact.
Finally, she was distracted by her grandmother who took her hand and ushered her into the living room where her mother was waiting for her. "Rory, you look absolutely beautiful, dear!" Emily told her smiling wildly.
Rory felt out of place, she knew no one except for her family and some of her classmates although she never had had a real conversation with any of them.
"Thanks, Grandma!" She was introduced to so many people that she had already forgotten the names of half of them and her grandmother was making her feel more uncomfortable when she ushered Rory to the library to 'associate' with the other students.
When Emily had left her there standing in the door looking at all the people there she saw two boys looking at her funnily. She did not know why though and her confusion grew when they started whispering to each other. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and someone leaning in closely so that they could murmur something in her ear.
"You look beautiful, Mary! But, you know, you would look even better without this dress." she had turned her head and looked Finn directly in the eyes. Why was he doing this to her? How could he do this to her? She hated him with every fiber of her being and yet she could not stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach every time he looked at her with those eyes and that smirk.
Her eyes had turned wide when he said that. But Rory quickly regained her composure and only said "Very charming, Finn!" turned around and left the library just to run into Emily again. Naturally, she had seen the smirks on the guys' faces when Finn had uttered those words to her.
"Now, Rory, dear, all the guests have arrived and now you have to say a few words. Thank them and everything."
"What? Grandma, no!"
"Rory, come now this is your birthday party, they are your guests and you need to thank them!" Emily said getting irritated. But she was not the only one. Rory felt the anger building up inside of her and she just could not stop the words that were flowing freely now.
"No, Grandma! This is your party, I never wanted this! We've been planning a party in Star's Hollow with all of my friends, with everyone who knows me. These people here don't even know me, they know you and grandpa and they came because they felt obligated to." she knew she had started to ramble but she did not care. The people around them were starting to stare.
"And you know what? I don't even like the kids from my school and you just invited them without even asking me!" with that Rory ran off to her mother's old room and locked the door behind her.
She sat on the bed and a lone tear made its way down her cheek. She had not meant to blow up like that, she just felt so frustrated with everything.
Unexpectedly, the bed dipped down and someone sat down beside her. Rory looked to her side and saw Finn sitting there. Just looking at him, she did not understand why or how he had come there. But she did not care, she just wanted to be alone. "Finn, please, I'm not in the mood..."
"Mary..." he began but was cut off by her mumbling something. "What did you say?"
"I said don't call me that!" her voice was on the verge of breaking. She had gotten up and went over to the window. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with your friends downstairs? Why did you come up here?" she asked.
Finn was just looking at her. He had meant what he had said earlier, she was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. He did not know himself what he was doing there. He had wandered through the house in search of something to occupy his mind. He had had a talk with his father again. He was told which courses to take next semester to be properly prepared for college and taking over his father's business. It annoyed him to no end, he did not want to enter the hotel business.
And then there was Rory. She had a hold over him no girl ever had had. With every rejection he just wanted her more.
"I was looking for something but I don't know what." he said and stepped up behind her. She felt his breath on her neck and her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She smelled of coffee and vanilla. That smell was so intoxicating.
"Rory..." Finn said. Slowly, she turned around not thinking that he would be so close. Her blue eyes were looking up at him and he nearly got lost in them as his head moved deliberately down to hers. He heard her gasp and suddenly they were kissing, it was nothing intense just a simple kiss and yet it was blowing their minds.
As his lips left hers she gazed up at him her eyes wide with disbelief and then she was gone leaving him standing there not knowing what had just happened.
Rory ran down to her mother and stayed beside her for the rest of the evening which was not very long because Emily was not in a good mood to say the least and the guests did not want to stay any longer.
In the car Lorelai started the inquisition. "So, Rory, that was quite a show you gave there. She really invited the other students without asking you first? That's low even for Emily Gilmore..." Rory was just looking out of the window. "Rory, please, talk to me, tell me what happened that made you like this..."
"Mom, I'm happy, I just feel like there's something missing in my life. Please let's just not talk about it, okay? Not for now at least."
They spend the rest of the ride in silence the only sound coming from the radio.
She was happy when she finally could flop down on her bed and go to sleep. She only hoped tomorrow would distract her a little from everything that had happened today...
